Chinese envoy stays away from Peiris briefing on UN report

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 April 2011, 02:32 GMT]The Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ambassador Yang Xiuping, was absent at the briefing held by Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris over the Colombo stance on the UN-panel report on war-crimes during the final phase of the war. Heads of all diplomatic missions in Colombo except Chinese envoy attended the briefing, according to a report published by the Sunday Times.

An invitation was sent to the Chinese Ambassador and was followed up by a call to confirm it was received, but the ambassador was not present at the meeting, the news report further said quorting a ministry official.

Colombo foreign ministry is trying to determine why the ambassador of China, one of Sri Lanka’s strongest allies in its fight to ensure the UN report does not lead to any action against the country, was absent, the Sunday Times report added.